Valve-operating mechanism for cars.



G. W. CURTIS.

VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS.

I APPLIUA'ITION FILED JUNE 21, 1910. 1,002,370, Patented Sept. 5,1911.

IN VEN TOR Maj-MT I v ATTORNEY WITNESSES COLUMIIA MIA, C0,, WASHINGTON.D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CURTIS, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARDIE. MAY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Application filed June 21, 1910. Serial No. 568,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE IV. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve-Operating Mechanismfor Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for controlling air pipes usedfor breaking purposes on railroad cars. In coupling or uncoupling ofthese cars it is necessary also to couple or uncouple the air pipes ofthe several cars, and in doing so it is further neces sary to operatethe valves controlling these pipes, that is, to open these valves aftercoupling them and to close said valves before uncoupling them.Heretofore it has been the practice, so far as I know, in operatingthese valves, for the brakeman to pass between the cars which are beingcoupled or uncoupled. This practice has been the cause of great loss oflife and limb among brakemen, amounting to about onethird of the totalnumber of railroad accidents on account of having to reach over or underthe drawhead to turn the angle cock on the opposite side of thedrawhead.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby thispractice is no longer necessary.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an end view of a car equippedwith my valve operating means; Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlargedscale of a lever and its fulcrum for operating the valve.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a car having an air pipe 2. 3indicates a rotary valve for said pipe connected at the ends to stems4:. 20 indicates a cap screwed on to the end of said casing, whichsurrounds the wide end of the valve, said cap abutting against ashoulder 21 on the valve, so that by screwing said cap on to said casingthe conical valve may be made tight in its bearing. 22 indicates aspring in said casing, pressed between said cap and the head 23 of saidvalve and resiliently pressing said valve so as to make it tight in itsbearing. By reason of this cap and spring a perfectly tight joint isprovided, while at the same time each end of the valve is connected tomeans extending to the corresponding side of the car for turning saidvalve. The other ends of said stems pass through bearings in the lowerends of hanger sections 5 adjustably secured by bolts 6 throughapertures 7 to upper hanger sections 8 secured to the bottom of the car.On the end of each stem is secured a handle 9, forked to pass on eitherside of the lower hanger section. By means of either handle the stemattached thereto, and the valve, can be turned. Each handle is hollow,as shown at 10, and in the cavity thereof is secured a stem 11 having arounded end and sliding in a bearing 12 in said handle having a collar13 against which presses a spring 14 coiled around the stem. The roundedend of the stem is thus adapted to enter either of two sockets 15 in therounded end of the lower hanger section, thus retaining the handle ineither of two positions, the handle in one position opening the valveand in the other closing it. This arrangement permits of free andunobstructed access to the drawhead or to the center of the car. Theconstruction in use at present is defective in this respect, in that theclothing of the operator is liable to become caught upon the angle-cockspreventing quick escape from between the cars.

A further objection to the arrangement for operating the valves now inuse is that they are apt to be accidentally closed by persons, generallyunauthorized, passing between the cars and stepping on the angle cock.When this happens, the brakes are deprived of air connection from theengine, so that they can not be properly set when desired.

I claim 1. In combination with a car and an air brake pipe, a valvecasing connected to said pipe, a cap for said casing, a conical valve insaid casing, means operatively connected with said valve passing throughsaid casing and cap respectively and extending to the respective sidesof the car substantially in line with one another and with the valve,and means at each side of the car for turning said valve about its axis,substantially as described.

2. In combination with a car and an air brake pipe, a valve casingconnected to said pipe, a cap for said casing, a conical valve in saidcasing, a spring in said casing between the head of the valve and thecap, means operatively connected with said valve passing through saidcasing and cap respectively and extending to the respective sides of thecar substantially in line with one another means for turning said stem,substantially and with the valve and means at each-side as described. ofthe car for turning said valve about its In testimony whereof I havehereunto set axis, substantially as described.

my hand in the presence of two subscribing 3. In combination with a car,and an air witnesses. brake pipe a valve for said pipe stems connectedto said valve extending to the sides GEORGE CURTIS of the car, andadjustable bearings at the Witnesses:

sides of the car for said stems, each stem be- FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, ingprovided at the sides of the car with D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Washington, D. C.

Commissioner of Patents,

